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The Sault Opera LegacyA look back at the seasons and productions of Sault OperaPrinter-Friendly Pages |
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1995
Sault Opera presented two shows in 1995: "Carousel" by Rodgers and Hammerstein and "H. M. S. Pinafore" by Gilbert and Sullivan.
The spring show "Carousel" featured a large cast made up mostly from local talent including: Tricia Lahde as Carrie Pipperidge, Sarah Gartshore as Julie Jordan, Louise Griffith as Mrs. Mullin, Gerry Robert as Billy Bigelow, David Cook as David Bascombe, Norene Morrow as Netty Fowler, Gordon Widgett as Enoch Snow, Michael Walz as Jigger Craigin, Chris Horsepool as Policeman, Shane Halpin as Captain, and many others plus an adult chorus of 60 and tens of children doing a great job as the Snow Family and the Heavenly Children.
Although Richard Howard was engaged to direct the show, he had to resign due to family matters after only one rehearsal and Marie Arcangeletti immediately took over as the director without losing any rehearsal time. Nevertheless, the show was an artistic success with very effective blocking of scenes, talented leads, great choreography (where some of the original choreography by Agnes deMille was used), and lovely and effective sets and lighting. However, there were some drawbacks such as the poor balancing of the sound amplification equipment which did not get "fixed" until closing night and the overly long scene after Billy's suicide. As a result, the show lost over $10,000 due to poor ticket sales ( which did not pick up after opening night) and expensive sets, salaries, and costumes.
Sault Opera's fall show "H. M. S. Pinafore" featured the stage and vocal direction of Norene Morrow, a 20-piece pit orchestra conducted by Arno Ambel with the assistance of Lorraine Smith, choreography by Carrie Apostle, settings by Ken Godmere, and costumes by Lisa Kozak, with Robert Laporte as the producer. The show featured a local cast of over 50, including the following leads: Philip Reed opening the show as the Midshipmite, Christopher Whitlock as Boatswain, Art Fink as the Carpenter, Sonya Ostrowski-Masoti as Buttercup, Shane Halpin as Dick Deadeye, Terry Mancini as Rafe Rackstraw, David Walsh as Captain Corcoran, Joni Henson as Josephine, Tom Hendrie as Sir Joseph Porter K. C. B., and Carrie Apostle as Cousin Hebe, supported by a chorus of 40, and a special appearance of the band of R. C. Sea Cadets Corps Royal Sovereign as the honour guard of Sir Joseph.
Norene Morrow did herself proud. "H. M. S. Pinafore" was the first show she had ever directed, and everybody, including the reviewer, just loved it. The show moved along at a fast clip, keeping everybody on their toes. The music got a lot of praise, especially the fabulous singing (and lovely acting) of Joni Henson. The unique and interesting choreography by Carrie Apostle, who also created a very original character of Hebe, was a great boon to the show. Of course, the experienced "veterans" Sonya Ostrowski-Masoti, David Walsh, and Tom Hendrie, were just great in their scenes. Of the younger talent, it was a joy to see Terry Mancini in action as the "Matinee Idol" Rafe Rackstraw, and the emergence of Shane Halpin in the masterful portrayal of Dick Deadeye, ably supported by Art Fink and Chris Whitlock. It was a happy show and a happy cast, playing to a happy and enthusiastic audience!
At the time "Pinafore" was being performed, there was a political controversy in the Sault when then-mayor Joseph Fratesi also became the Chief Administrative Officer, thereby creating a conflict-of-interest situation that also got the attention of the national media. As was the tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas to make satire of the political situation of the day, the script was doctored to add this verse to Sir Joseph's song "I am the Monarch of the Seas":
If I were ruler of the Sault
There are things that I would like to do
But I wouldn't give the mayor any job he wants
Ticket sales were on the same level as the previous year's production of "The Pirates of Penzance". A new attraction for the opening night audience was a "gala reception", organized by Allan Reed along with volunteer assistants, in the school's cafeteria after the performance on Wednesday night, where theatregoers had a chance to meet the performers and the production staff of the show, and partake of a lovely cold buffet and a variety of soft drinks. Hunderds of theatregoers attended the reception and everybody had a great time.
The company was still in good shape financially as tickets for the next year's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" were moving nicely and money was coming in from programme advertising, with more ads ordered than it was hoped for, mainly thanks to the efforts of Pat Cook. In addition, the bodypack microphone sets were bringing in rental money. Arno Ambel has been carrying on as the President, with the help of Robert Laporte as the 1st Vice President, Norene Morrow as the 2nd Vice President, and Ann Scott and Teresa Caughill as co-3rd Vice Presidents. David Cook took charge of the Treasury as well as computerized the bookkeeping for the company. Janis Ambel has been the new Secretary, with Barb Rajnovich as the Assistant Secretary. Kate MacNally was the Costume Representative at the Community Theatre Centre, and Allan Reed initiated some new and original ideas for advertising.